


all we are is temporary

by RosePerSomnium



Series: Steter Week 2018 [8]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe – No Werewolves, M/M, Steter Week 2018, Stiles had and still has a crush on Peter, The fire still happened, depressed!peter, former student!Stiles, former teacher!Peter, reunion at a concert, scarred!peter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 11:52:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15485145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosePerSomnium/pseuds/RosePerSomnium
Summary: Six years after the fire, Peter meets Stiles at a concert. He considers finally acknowledging the sexual tension between them but while his former student looks like he's grown into his body, for Peter, it's still a fight to even get up every day.





	all we are is temporary

**Author's Note:**

> (I guess the date will show up as 07/30/18, but it's still Sunday for another three hours where I live, so there! ;) )
> 
> This is not a happy story. Peter is heavily depressed and while there will be some flirting and bantering and even sex (hopefully, thus the rating), it will come back down to numbness and self-loathing every time, so please proceed with caution if that's triggering for you!
> 
> There are another thousand words written already but I feel like this is the best cutting point for now. The rest is already pre-planned in my head and won't take too long to come out, I hope!
> 
> As usual, please tell me any suggestions for improvement and what you thought of it! And in case you read all four unfinished works (part 3, 4, 5 and this), feel free to let me know which one you would like to see finished first!
> 
> The title is from "The first time" by Three Days Grace.

Somehow, it was a surprise to see him here. It shouldn't have been, but after everything that happened, other people sticking to their past selves felt surreal to him.

The years had been good to the boy. His shoulders were wider, his hair longer, his posture relaxed for once. He seemed more at ease with himself than he had ever seen him before.

For a moment, he enjoyed the idea of going over there and finally acknowledging the sexual tension between them, then he remembered how time had changed him for worse and turned away.

***

He felt uncomfortable sitting in his seat, silent and unmoving, while the surrounding crowd danced and sang and celebrated. Maybe coming here had been a mistake. He liked the music just fine at home but even there he let the lyrics and melody and rhythm soak into his body, doing nothing about it.

Standing up, restless but unsure what to do, he went down to the food stalls and restrooms, walking in circles and stretching his legs. When he turned around again at one end, the boy was staring at him.

He let him have his fill. What were the odds of meeting amid 20.000 people? He would wait until the boy was done taking his new appearance in and then leave early.

Instead, the boy smiled and walked over. "Mr. Hale! It's so good to see you again! And in a place like this. I would never have imagined seeing you at a TDG concert. I mean, I told you about them but I didn't even expect you to remember the name, much less to actually like the music. That is why you're here, right? Not only because somebody needed company? That would suck and I would be seriously offended, just so you—" The rambling came to a sudden stop and the boy tilted his head, examining his blank face. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

He raised his eyebrows (he had spent hours practicing basic mimics in front of a mirror but still couldn't be sure if the right brow was cooperating). "Stiles Stilinski, the sheriff's son back in Beacon Hills. Sarcastic, too smart for his own good, attention span of a toddler, next to no control over his body movements. Though I'm willing to blame the last one on your age at that time."

The boy blinked. "You.. do remember."

He smirked (what was the right corner of his mouth doing?). "Asking the sheriff if it's normal for his son to get a nosebleed for no apparent reason in class isn't something I'll ever forget, I guess."

"That— What— You—" The boy gaped at him, blushing. "Since when are you such an asshole?" As soon as the words were out, he looked horrified. "Shit, I'm sorry, that's not what I— I'm sorry, Mr. Hale, I didn't mean to insult you. I'm really sorry, I had a few drinks, that always fucks up my brain-to-mouth-filter. Which is already sketchy as fuck as I'm sure you recall because you seem to recall every fucking embarrassing thing about me. Do you have a notebook full of embarrassing memories of former students in case you—" The boy froze. "Sorry. I will shut up."

He relaxed, chuckling. The boy hadn't changed at all. And wasn't that refreshing for a change. "There's no need to apologize, Stiles. I'm not your teacher anymore." The boy looked at him with that same familiar mixture of admiration, challenge and desire. "I haven't been for a while. And I wouldn't be either way if you're old enough to drink now."

The boy nodded. "It's been six years… People said you were moving to New York then. Are you working at a high school here?"

"No." He felt himself closing off.

"I'm sorry."

He heard the underlying condolences but no pity. Disregarding it with a small nod, he asked, "Did you come down here for a specific purpose?"

"Oh yeah, to take a leak, actually. Would you mind waiting here for a minute?" The boy was already heading off toward the restrooms when his answer made him turn back.

"I am on my way home, to be honest."

"What? But the concert is still going. Why would you—?"

"Coming here was a mistake."

"Mr. Hale…" The boy (man, but it was so easy to overlook time passing) suddenly looked vulnerable, almost as young as when he first entered his classroom. "I know I'm not— I can't make you stay but I—"

"I'm not your teacher," he repeated.

The boy had grown as tall as him but with his shoulders hunched, looking up with his face turned to the ground, he appeared smaller. "I would really like to talk to you some more. _Peter_." He hesitated to say his name, testing it out, still expecting rejection.

Peter remembered smart-assed answers and lingering glances and made his choice.

"I'll be here."

The boy sent him a relieved smile and hurried away but Peter saw him looking back before turning around the corner.


End file.
